City to do study on athletic field needs

The New Prague City Council moved forward with several items during a special meeting on Tuesday, April 26, that deal with future recreational facility needs.

After much discussion the council unanimously approved a joint survey to be completed with the New Prague Area School District on athletic facilities, with a goal that it be completed by the end of the year. Other items approved unanimously were to authorize staff to do research into the demolition of the former armory and look at using the site for soccer and/or lacrosse fields and keep the outdoor swimming pool open for the next two summers and create an aquatic facility committee.

Athletic Fields Besides the council, also at the meeting were city staff from Planning and Zoning, Public Works, Utilities, Finances, the Police Department and representatives of the soccer and lacrosse associations.

City Administrator Mike Johnson explained some of the history of the city’s athletic fields and the survey it did on the outdoor pool, before the school district did its referendum on school buildings, including a new indoor pool. Johnson noted he had recently talked with the school district and the completion date for the indoor pool was being pushed back from April 2017 to June 2017 due to a shortage of materials. Johnson said that the city needed to address a few questions, including if the facilities were for just residents inside the city’s limits or would they include those outside the city.

City Planning Director Ken Ondich noted New Prague makes up about onethird of the school district, although the remaining twothirds do make use of parks and athletic fields in the city. There are four soccer fields in the city, but those are all on school property. One change is that the city is working on building soccer fields for youth 10 and under in Settlers Park that are scheduled to be ready for use in 2017. It was noted there is an athletic field east of New Prague Middle School. Among its uses are those for soccer games and lacrosse. That area is owned by St. Wenceslaus Church and will eventually be used for its cemetery.

Council member Dave Bruzek said an area east of that athletic field, across Columbus Avenue N, is also owned by St. Wenceslaus Church and is slated to be used for the cemetery. He suggested until that time, it could be used as an athletic field.

Johnson noted another alternative was an area of land east of New Prague High School and north of the city’s yard waste site. It is approximately 70 acres and owned by Randy Kubes. Discussions have taken place in the past with the school district about that property. Any future plans for the property would require a partnership between the city and the school district. While the area is being guided....

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